Castle scoffed at Vincent's feeble threats over the phone. "Mr. Vincent Adler, do you think a few words of intimidation will scare me? I had no intention of becoming your enemy. I only wanted to help my friend Neal find his missing girlfriend. But today, you called and immediately threatened my family's safety. Do you think I will be afraid of your threats?"
Truth be told, Castle was impressed by Vincent Adler's intelligence-gathering abilities and quick response to unexpected events. Just last night, he and Mozzie had retrieved Kate, and today Vincent's call had already reached his phone. Castle acknowledged Vincent's reputation as a formidable Wall Street swindler, known from both the original series and Neal and Kate's descriptions.
However, Castle didn't want to break ties with Vincent just yet. He hoped that Vincent, with his resources, would help recover the sunken U-boat off the coast of New York. Just as Mozzie did in the original series, Castle planned to double-cross Vincent after using him to raise the submarine. Confronting Vincent now or alerting him prematurely would jeopardize this plan.
Sensing a shift in Vincent's tone, Castle quickly explained his true intentions, emphasizing that he wasn't trying to oppose Vincent but merely unintentionally disrupted his plans by helping Neal.
Vincent, a shrewd operator, detected Castle's conciliatory tone and assumed his threats had worked. To avoid further complications with his plans, he softened his approach and began to negotiate.
"Mr. Castle, I admit I used some less-than-honorable tactics with Neal and Kate, but I only want the music box that belongs to me. I believe Kate must have told you about it. The music box has significant meaning to me. Can you understand? If you can persuade Neal to return the music box, I would be very grateful. And my gratitude won't just be in words."
Vincent Adler, who had swindled a fortune through a Ponzi scheme eight years ago, was undoubtedly a formidable figure. Realizing that his threats had failed but Castle wasn't intent on being his enemy, he switched tactics to a softer approach, hoping to exploit the information asymmetry. Castle and Neal didn't know the real importance of the music box. By easing their hostility, Vincent hoped to "trick" the music box into his possession without bloodshed, a strategy he deemed worthwhile since he alone knew the submarine's secret.
Listening to Vincent's earnest yet deceitful words, Castle almost laughed. With great self-control, he managed to keep his voice steady. "Mr. Adler, I can't promise you that right now, as I'm not Neal. But I can relay your request to him. How does that sound?"
Both men, each hiding their true intentions, found the conversation becoming much more amicable.
Vincent, delighted at Castle's implied willingness to negotiate, promised a satisfactory reward if Castle could persuade Neal to hand over the music box. He hoped this would placate Castle and ensure his cooperation.
Castle, stifling his laughter, repeatedly assured Vincent he would join the effort to convince Neal. Only after the call did he burst into laughter.
After his laughter subsided, Castle called Neal. "Neal, you won't believe it. I just got off the phone with Vincent Adler, who was threatening me!"
Neal, who had been explaining the situation to Peter and discussing a plan to trap Vincent, was startled. "Rick, are you okay?"
Castle laughed heartily again. "Neal, you wouldn't guess. Vincent tried to threaten my family, and when I pushed back, he immediately switched to a softer approach, asking me to persuade you to hand over the music box. From how quickly he found me and knew I helped you retrieve Kate, it's clear that music box holds some secret we don't know about. Vincent must really want it. We should also take the music box seriously."
Relieved that Castle was unharmed, Neal's curiosity was piqued. "What? He called you just to ask you to persuade me to hand over the music box? He still thinks I have it? I was just explaining the origins of this whole situation to Peter!"
Castle understood that Neal was hinting about Peter's presence, indicating it wasn't the right time to discuss this over the phone. "Alright, Neal. How about I come over tomorrow, and we can discuss this in detail? For now, focus on coordinating with your partner about our earlier plan. Talk to you later."
Castle intended to draw the FBI's attention to Vincent using his appearance as a pretext, distracting Vincent while keeping the U-boat's secret hidden from the FBI. The treasure within the submarine was meant for Castle, Mozzie, and Neal. Hence, after getting Neal's hint about Peter's presence, Castle decisively ended the call, leaving a plausible reason for discussing the music box with Neal the next day.
Determined to follow through with his plan, Castle decided to head home and rest, preparing for tomorrow's discussion with Neal and Mozzie. They needed to strategize on how to leverage the FBI against Vincent without arousing their suspicion, ensuring Vincent would only be captured after he raised the submarine.
Castle felt confident that his plan to involve the FBI was brilliant. Once they started investigating Vincent, Fuller would report this to Vincent, who, eager to find the sunken U-boat, wouldn't back down but rather expedite his search. This would lead Castle, Neal, and Mozzie to locate Neal's ex-girlfriend, Alex Hunter, who held the key to the music box.
Alex, also an art thief, was crucial. She not only had the key but her grandfather had been the telegraph operator on the submarine. He had hidden the schematic for a device capable of receiving distress signals in the music box. Theoretically, finding the music box and its musical comb would allow them to build a receiver to locate the submarine.
Castle had no intention of personally searching for the submarine. Instead, he planned to deceive Vincent into thinking they only wanted peace after handing over the music box. This way, Vincent would do the heavy lifting, and Castle and his friends would swoop in to claim the treasure.
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